Josh Harris got a game ball.
No, the new Washington Commanders owner didn’t suit up for Friday’s 17-15 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns. But coach Ron Rivera made sure that his new boss received a keepsake from the team’s first victory in the Harris era — even if the real action of the regular season doesn’t start until a month from now.
“We told him, ‘A win’s a win, and you can always keep this one,’” Rivera said of Harris. “The guys were pretty fired up and (are) looking to the opportunity to give him one for real.”
Harris was spotted taking in the game from the first row behind Washington’s bench rather than an owner’s box at Cleveland Browns Stadium. And there was a lot to digest. Once the game started after a rain delay that lasted more than an hour, the Commanders got the first glimpse of their new offense under coordinator Eric Bieniemy, a strong outing from quarterback Sam Howell and encouraging signs from its secondary.
Let’s dive into some takeaways, starting with Howell.
Howell’s decision-making was on point. Earlier in the week, Bieniemy noted the second-year signal-caller’s progress in training camp in how Howell went from overthinking on plays to making decisive reads. That growth was evident against the Browns. Howell went 9 of 12 for 77 yards — and his three incompletions were the result of two throwaways and a tipped ball intended for running back Antonio Gibson. Bieniemy’s West Coast-based system requires its passers to make quick throws. Howell appeared to move through his progressions fast, hitting a variety of playmakers. He also extended plays with his legs, a strength of his game.
Of course, Howell wasn’t perfect. Washington’s first drive was stalled in part because of the sack the quarterback took on first-and-20. Howell told reporters after the game that he “should have gotten the ball out on that one,” and a replay showed that Jahan Dotson was open.
But Howell’s best series came on Washington’s third drive. He turned a fourth-and-3 into a 13-yard gain with a perfect strike to tight end Cole Turner. Then, on the next play, he identified the mismatch of a safety defending Dotson — resulting in a 26-yard touchdown.
“I felt good,” Howell said. “I knew the plays that we were going to call. We kind of keep it simple in the preseason, but I felt … like I did a pretty good job from an execution standpoint. I went into the game with a lot of confidence and I think my comfortability showed.”
The drive was promising enough to perhaps mask some of the struggles from Washington’s offensive line.
That said, the Commanders’ starting offensive line did little to alleviate concerns about what the unit can be in 2023. Notably, right tackle Andrew Wylie’s performance wasn’t what coaches wanted to see after signing the 28-year-old to a three-year, $24 million contract earlier in the offseason. Wylie was brought in to patch up the right side of the line, but against Cleveland, he was called for two holding penalties — the first of which killed the momentum of Washington’s five-minute opening drive, and the second of which resulted in a safety.
The Commanders’ line remains a big question mark. Saahdiq Charles (calf) did not play Friday, perhaps giving Chris Paul a leg up to now start at left guard once the season begins. Still, Washington is banking on the unit improving from an uneven 2022 in part because of its free-agent signings of Nick Gates and Wylie.
Elsewhere, cornerback Kendall Fuller didn’t play but Washington’s secondary still balled out. First-round corner Emmanuel Forbes made an eye-popping tackle on third-and-goal that led the Commanders to make a goal-line stand on the defense’s opening series. That set the tone for an evening that featured big hits and physical play from corners Christian Holmes, Danny Johnson and Rachad Wildgoose. Safety Percy Butler, in line for an expanded role, also returned an interception for 42 yards to pair with his two tackles and one pass breakup.
Tackling isn’t what most people think of when it comes to playing in the secondary. But the Commanders made their presence felt against the Browns.
Defensive end Chase Young, meanwhile, was sidelined early with an injury. The pass-rusher logged only four snaps before he was pulled with what Rivera called a “little bit of a stinger.” Young appeared to get hurt on a play when he narrowly missed sacking Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and instead was driven into the ground. The Commanders will hope the ailment doesn’t cause Young to miss any time — especially given the edge rusher’s past. Young logged only three games last season while recovering from the serious right knee injury he suffered in November 2021.
“When he came to the sideline, we just said, ‘You know what, we saw a real good start, let’s just be careful with him,’” Rivera said. “And the doctors were fine with that.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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